MONROE - Vicki Evenson, Brodhead, has seen many changes in public health since becoming a nurse 38 years ago.
Evenson said the newest changes for public health officials include following and preventing the West Nile virus and bioterrorism.
"We never thought we'd be preparing for bioterrorism," she said.
On June 2, Evenson will be making one more change when she steps down as director of the Green County Health Department. Assistant Director RoAnn Warden will be taking over the position.
Evenson became the health department director in 1995, after serving in Beloit for 22 years. The move felt like she was "coming back home" she said.
Evenson was instrumental in bringing the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to the Green County Health Department. Once managed by a vendor serving 254 people, the program now helps about 650.
The increase is "because the nurses are more accessible here," she said. "It's a hometown service."
Evenson has worked with Warden for 16 years. Warden, who was then just starting her career as a nurse, and her mother Bonnie Cunningham, both served with Evenson in Beloit.
When the City of Beloit merged with Rock County's health department, Evenson took the opportunity to ask Warden to fill the Green County assistant director's job in May 2005.
"I enticed her here," Evenson said.
Warden said the biggest change she's seen since becoming a nurse in 1987 is the coming of Hospice, which serves the terminally ill and their families.
"Working in oncology led me to Hospice," Warden said. "More community nursing and public wellness was my goal."
Evenson and Warden, working together in Green County for three years, find rural health care a "nice change" from working in Beloit with its higher urban crime rate.
But Green County has its unique health care problems with farmers.
"Access to health care," Evenson said. "Many farmers have no health insurance, or they have huge deductibles. They sacrifice routine preventative care."
Fortunately, working in the public health area allows for some creative solutions.
"We can be as creative as we can be and create programs for the population base," Evenson said.
Warden is working on a collaborative project with the Green County Healthy Community Coalition to develop a free dental care program.
"The dental clinic is an exciting program for me - to see that up and going and expanding," Warden said.
The budget will be Warden's greatest challenge stepping into the director's chair, Evenson said.
"Public health has limited resources. We write grants wherever we can," she said.
Warden also is looking forward to expanding on Evenson's tobacco prevention youth program and environmental protection measures, such as keeping out-of-date and unused medication out of the landfills.
In April the department collected 300 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter medications that would have been disposed of in the landfill or flushed down the drain, Evenson said.
The department also manages a mercury collection, supplying a free digital thermometer for every mercury-filled one dropped off.
The number of lead poisoning cases has dropped dramatically since Evenson arrived in 1995.
"The first year I was here, we had two children who had to be hospitalized for lead poisoning," Evenson said. "I had to mandate several houses, six or eight."
Early detection through physician visits or WIC visits has helped catch toddlers with elevated blood levels before they need hospitalization. Warden said she has had to write only two orders to clean up homes with lead paint.
Prevention and education also have helped prevent other diseases.
"Immunizations have gone from a handful to a menu," Evenson said.
Except for a bout of pertussis from 1996 t0 2001, Evenson said there have been no other major disease outbreaks. Although, she fears the world is overdue for a flu epidemic, which normally comes every 20 to 30 years.
"This county responds quickly," Evenson said.
The quick response comes from the good relationships and open communication lines with Monroe Clinic, University of Wisconsin Extension, Green County emergency management and other organizations, which Warden credits Evenson with developing.
"It takes everyone working together, but Vicki has been the foundation," Warden said. "She should be proud of the relationships she's established with people in the community."
Evenson's retirement will be celebrated with an open house scheduled for 2 to 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 2 at Yodel Hall at the Green County Health Department, Government Services Building, N3150 Wisconsin 81, Monroe.
Evenson said the newest changes for public health officials include following and preventing the West Nile virus and bioterrorism.
"We never thought we'd be preparing for bioterrorism," she said.
On June 2, Evenson will be making one more change when she steps down as director of the Green County Health Department. Assistant Director RoAnn Warden will be taking over the position.
Evenson became the health department director in 1995, after serving in Beloit for 22 years. The move felt like she was "coming back home" she said.
Evenson was instrumental in bringing the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to the Green County Health Department. Once managed by a vendor serving 254 people, the program now helps about 650.
The increase is "because the nurses are more accessible here," she said. "It's a hometown service."
Evenson has worked with Warden for 16 years. Warden, who was then just starting her career as a nurse, and her mother Bonnie Cunningham, both served with Evenson in Beloit.
When the City of Beloit merged with Rock County's health department, Evenson took the opportunity to ask Warden to fill the Green County assistant director's job in May 2005.
"I enticed her here," Evenson said.
Warden said the biggest change she's seen since becoming a nurse in 1987 is the coming of Hospice, which serves the terminally ill and their families.
"Working in oncology led me to Hospice," Warden said. "More community nursing and public wellness was my goal."
Evenson and Warden, working together in Green County for three years, find rural health care a "nice change" from working in Beloit with its higher urban crime rate.
But Green County has its unique health care problems with farmers.
"Access to health care," Evenson said. "Many farmers have no health insurance, or they have huge deductibles. They sacrifice routine preventative care."
Fortunately, working in the public health area allows for some creative solutions.
"We can be as creative as we can be and create programs for the population base," Evenson said.
Warden is working on a collaborative project with the Green County Healthy Community Coalition to develop a free dental care program.
"The dental clinic is an exciting program for me - to see that up and going and expanding," Warden said.
The budget will be Warden's greatest challenge stepping into the director's chair, Evenson said.
"Public health has limited resources. We write grants wherever we can," she said.
Warden also is looking forward to expanding on Evenson's tobacco prevention youth program and environmental protection measures, such as keeping out-of-date and unused medication out of the landfills.
In April the department collected 300 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter medications that would have been disposed of in the landfill or flushed down the drain, Evenson said.
The department also manages a mercury collection, supplying a free digital thermometer for every mercury-filled one dropped off.
The number of lead poisoning cases has dropped dramatically since Evenson arrived in 1995.
"The first year I was here, we had two children who had to be hospitalized for lead poisoning," Evenson said. "I had to mandate several houses, six or eight."
Early detection through physician visits or WIC visits has helped catch toddlers with elevated blood levels before they need hospitalization. Warden said she has had to write only two orders to clean up homes with lead paint.
Prevention and education also have helped prevent other diseases.
"Immunizations have gone from a handful to a menu," Evenson said.
Except for a bout of pertussis from 1996 t0 2001, Evenson said there have been no other major disease outbreaks. Although, she fears the world is overdue for a flu epidemic, which normally comes every 20 to 30 years.
"This county responds quickly," Evenson said.
The quick response comes from the good relationships and open communication lines with Monroe Clinic, University of Wisconsin Extension, Green County emergency management and other organizations, which Warden credits Evenson with developing.
"It takes everyone working together, but Vicki has been the foundation," Warden said. "She should be proud of the relationships she's established with people in the community."
Evenson's retirement will be celebrated with an open house scheduled for 2 to 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 2 at Yodel Hall at the Green County Health Department, Government Services Building, N3150 Wisconsin 81, Monroe.